Walking in the Question and Answer System of Heroic Spirits

No matter which world it is, this man hasn't changed at all.

Lancelot: "Agraven... he is indeed a strong man willing to bear everything."

Kai: "..."

Mordred: "Tch, that cold-faced guy—"

Recalling his former subordinates, Old Sword defined the existence of the mad beast in his heart.

[Not merely a beast. Not a monster, not a lump of malice, not an embodiment of desire, but a true Servant, possessing power to manifest in this world for a certain purpose.]

But at the last moment, he extended his grappling hook into the night sky. What did that mean?

Even now, Old Sword still hasn't figured it out.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: "...I didn't expect you could see right through me even in that state."

Gina: "This King Arthur seems to understand people's hearts so well."

Artoria: "..."

Sorry, I don't understand people's hearts.

Great Hero: "So, what exactly does that thing reaching into the night sky mean?"

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: "It's nothing... just a promise..."

Chapter 517: Old Sword's Memories of the Holy Grail War

[Second memory.]

A massive bolt of lightning collides with a meteor, and in the ensuing final battle on Tokyo Bay, the Sun King (Rider) and the Great Hero (Archer) clash violently.

[As for the former, Old Sword did not witness him in the temple, only seeing him twice before the final battle.]

[The first time the Reiko Mansion met its end was at Berserker, and the second time was at the park not far from the Sajō Mansion.]

The god-king who led the divine beast Sphinx and reigned supreme in the night sky once proclaimed these words.

"Goddess who devours the world and knights who protect her! Tonight, I finally understand what I must do. I exist only to annihilate you!"

That wasn't something I said to myself.

It was at that time that Ozymandias loudly announced his true name and said:

To uphold justice, he will burn away all evil, along with the cities of the Far East.

Why do I say that?

[To Saber's question, Ayaka Sajou replied with an ambiguous smile—"In the Holy Grail War, it's only natural to be hated by other Heroic Spirits."]

Saber believed it.

No. He recognized that her words were correct in one respect, but he also had to recognize that there was probably some unspoken meaning hidden within them—

Rin Tohsaka: "So, Brunhilde wasn't the only one who received God's command."

Zabi: "No wonder you, Sun King, suddenly made such a big fuss."

Ramses II: "Hahaha, is that even a question? You all think I'm the kind of person who likes to act recklessly."

Rin Tohsaka: "Because there's a precedent, it's not necessarily true."

La Er: “???”

King of Heroes: "Hmph."

He's too lazy to argue with this scoundrel anymore; it would only lower his own IQ.

[Sajō Aika, simply saying "talented" is insufficient to express the certain qualities she possesses.]

Following Assassin, even Caster has joined her ranks, making everything quite obvious.

She possesses a certain charm, beyond magic, that the old sword could not comprehend.

Unfortunately, he wasn't good at perception and investigation.

Weber: "What trait could it be...?"

Dad: "That's a quality that would blow the minds of all magicians."

Koles: "Is it really that exaggerated?"

You get it? "Hehe—"

Weber: "For you to describe it like that, it must be quite something."

"I have made my decision! Let the evil that even devours stars be burned to ashes by the might of myself and the gods!"

"Together with over ten million citizens, we will turn Tokyo into scorched earth—this is the declaration of the God King."

[To this end, Archer embarks on a battle to stop the enemy, and with unexpected reinforcements, he and Lancer cooperate.]

[Then I witnessed a world-saving arrow!]

He recognized that arrow.

Arash, whose reputation for bravery was once mentioned by Lord Palamedes, one of the Knights of the Round Table.

He is a true savior.

Blonde Rin: "What kind of logic is this...?"

If you're going to kill Aika Sajou, focus on that! Why drag the whole of Tokyo into this?

Ramses II: "Those are but insignificant specks of dust on the path of cleansing evil, and they are not my subjects, so I naturally do not care about their lives."

Magical Girl Illya: "Sigh! Are all kings this domineering?"

Rin Tohsaka: "That's right, we're all used to it now, so you should get used to it too."

The third memory is of Brunhilde.

[In the encounter at Sunshine60 in Ikebukuro, the opponent skillfully maneuvered a massive gun that resembled a shield, leaving everyone speechless.]

She always seemed to be filled with sorrow.

When I met her last night, she was a completely different person.

The intimidating aura surrounding him could also be described as otherworldly, differing from the oppressive force unique to Heroic Spirits.

This reminded Old Sword of the supernatural beings he had once glimpsed.

[The Maiden of the Lake. The Sea Within the Stars. And Avalon.]

Kai: "I wonder what Merlin is like in that world..."

Flower Magician: "Oh my, Kai-chan, you care about me so much!"

Kai: "I'm just worried about the Round Table in that world, worried that you might be even more of a jerk in that world."

Feng Xi: "..."

Is Kai a jinx or a prophet?

The question was uttered in words, but no answer was received.

[It's not unusual for Master to disappear alone, but tonight, she unusually contacted me silently.]

"Master has already dealt with him, but Lancer isn't enough. I can't kill that person on my own."

"What if, on the other hand, I were the one killed?"

[Just kidding—]

["Although I didn't want to make such a request to Saber, who had just recovered from her injuries—"]

【Sajō Aika would never lie.】

[She may have been hiding something, but she was never lying.]

At least to herself, that girl wouldn't lie.

[The rest of the Servants have already left the stage. Assassin and Caster are not strong enough. To defeat Lancer, he can only rely on himself, wielding the Holy Sword.]

The logic is sound. But—

The feeling that something was wrong was far too obvious.

"You're right, Ai Ge."

[After the flashback ended, Old Sword's eyes hardened.]

"The Holy Grail is made from people's thoughts. Perhaps this is tragic, but what many humans crave is not goodwill, but rather malice, also known as desire."

This is the truth.

Having accumulated the desires of millions, the Holy Grail has, in a sense, become corrupted.

"The Holy Grail was wrong from the very beginning."

Hartres: "You've already noticed something's wrong, haven't you? Well, you have."

Hartres: "If you still don't notice after being warned to this extent, you're really stupid."

Waver: "Even if you notice, how are you going to stop this girl, King Arthur..."

Time flies, and it's evening again.